Understanding Today’s Tech Pros

As we head into 2016, the study is well worth a review by recruiters and HR staffers to get a fuller picture of what exactly makes tech professionals tick—what’s driving them crazy, what they like about their current living situations, and their opinions on work-life balance. (Methodology-wise, Dice surveyed more than 1,600 tech pros via online, with the responses voluntary, anonymous, and presented in aggregate.)

That last element, about work-life balance, is perhaps the most important takeaway from the study, at least from an employer perspective. More than a quarter (27 percent) of surveyed professionals believed that work-life balance is a myth, while 47 percent wanted more of a work-life balance. Only 5 percent said that work-life balance wasn’t a top priority for them.

A majority of respondents (55 percent) said they would move to another city for a job with a higher salary, even though most tech pros also said they were happy with their current area.

For those employers, recruiters, and HR staffers who want to find the best talent this year, offering salaries isn’t necessarily enough—especially with many companies paying top dollar for highly specialized talent. Given the widespread desire among tech professionals for more balance in their lives, it’s clear that offering perks such as working from home could prove an incredibly effective tool in hiring the most experienced workers.